1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for carrying percussion instruments, particularly drums of various kinds, cymbals, xylophones, and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a carrier hardware providing a novel articulating hinge assembly for the support for percussion instruments and to carrier assemblies supporting percussion instruments on a person while standing, walking or marching. The carrier assembly has a construction and relationship of parts to transfer the weight of the percussion instrument(s) to the body of a person. A clamp is located in the front of the carrier. The clamp allows the carrier to be folded for easier transportation and storage in a smaller space. The clamp can be loose to allow the linked parts to move freely, or the clamp can be locked to fix the linked parts in position. The person carrying the instruments maintains a stable attitude while walking or marching about and avoids pressure or other forms of detrimental forces on the shoulders and lower back and is further characterized by having removable and/or adjustable back support member or members. The adjustment to the back support member position may also be accomplished using a fixed back support member with adjustable shoulder supports. The back member may be secured to the shoulder supports and the shoulder supports may be removable and or adjustable to accommodate different sized users.
2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The prior art discloses many examples of apparatus for supporting percussion instruments but none providing the combination of features disclosed and claimed herein.
La Flame U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,683 discloses a carrier for percussion instruments having an abdominal plate connected at one end of a unitary frame partly encircling the wearer at the waist and having an upstanding rear portion pivotally connected to a back pressure plate. Shoulder bars are connected to the back-pressure plate and wrap about shoulders and support supports connect to the abdominal plate.
Hsieh U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,610 shows a carrier for percussion instruments having a “T” bar, a pair of shoulder bars, a belly plate. The shoulder bars are bolted on a lateral plate of the “T” bar. The lateral plate has arc-like slots and spaced semi-circular holes permit bolts to slide in the slots. The fastening end of each shoulder bar has a hole and an arc-like slot from the upper portion to the lower portion permitting angular adjustment of the shoulder rightward or leftward for various applications.
La Flame U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,032 shows a carrier for various instruments such as marching bells, a marching xylophone or a marching marimba, which are supported on the apparatus by the use of suitably-constructed extension arms. The carrier frame is a U-shaped bent bar welded or otherwise attached to a belly plate and has extension arms which project from the belly plate to engage and support the instrument.
La Flame GB patent 2,123,676 (based on U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,442) discloses a carrier for percussion instruments or the like which includes the combination of a belly plate with a carrier bracket for supporting an instrument at an outwardly-overhung position about a fulcrum area of contact with the front waistline area of the person, a rigid band with a generally bent contour to extend along a portion of the waistline area of the person to the back of the person, a back-plate riser arm supported by the ban to extend in a generally upward direction such that a portion of the arm will extend along the back thoracic region of the person, and means carried by the arm for imparting to the thoracic back region of the person a reactive force to the overhung weight of the instrument about the aforesaid means forming a fulcrum area of contact with the person.
Dranchak U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,839 discloses a drum-supporting harness having two shoulder hooks with cushion pads or liners, a breast plate secured to the hooks, and a hanger structure attached to the breast plate and depending there from. Upwardly-facing hooks, a spacer bar extending downward from the hooks, and a spacing abutment carried by the spacer bar and extending forward there from are carried by the lower portion of the hanger structure. The hooks and the spacing abutment engage upper and lower portions of the body of the drum. The hanger structure is adjustable or extensible by means of overlapping strips which can be secured in a number of different positions. An adapter assembly attaches to the upper rim portion of the drum for connecting of hooks 16 to the drum.
Other possibly relevant prior art is Pyle U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,357 and the inventor's own patents May U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,910, May U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,810, May U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,257, May U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,492, May U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,583 and May U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,008 that are herein incorporated by reference.
The prior art discloses many examples of apparatus for supporting percussion instruments but none provide the combination of features that are disclosed and claimed herein.